About This Stamp
A 20-cent regular stamp honoring Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, an early educator of the hearing impaired, was issued June 10, 1983, in West Hartford, Connecticut. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the American School for the Deaf, which Gallaudet founded.
Thomas Gallaudet devoted his life to the education of the hearing and speaking impaired. His work, however, went beyond teaching the deaf. He also worked for the general advancement of education for women and stressed the need for well-trained women in the teaching profession. In addition, he was interested in education for blacks and fostered the advancement of manual training for students of all races in the public schools.
The Gallaudet stamp was in the Great Americans series of regular postage stamps initiated in 1980 to recognize the diverse accomplishments of outstanding Americans.
Dennis Lyall of Norwalk, Connecticut, designed the stamp. It was printed in the intaglio process and issued in panes of 100. The modeler was Clarence Holbert; engravers were Gary M. Chaconas (vignette) and Gary J. Slaght (lettering and numerals).